Fulham - Riise Speaketh (Twice)

Now I often have sympathy for those players that offer quotes to the media and then find themselves misquoted.

It happens to us amateur hacks often enough.

With this lull in domestic action, courtesy of the international break, Bjorn Helge Riise has, if the quotes are correct, had a bit of a pop at his teammate Damien Duff.

Obviously aware that he`s currently a little fish in the big pond, Bjorn has spoken about the competition for places and his apparent belief that new-boys, such as Duff, seem to be gaining match time purely on reputations, remarking,

'I don't think they've done all that good,'

But like I said, they have a good reputation and come from bigger clubs than me.'

'I came from little Lillestrom in Norway, but players like Damien Duff have a name and status after playing for clubs like Newcastle and Chelsea and is ahead of me.

'I will be happy to show them different the times I will be given the chance.'

'I believe I have better qualities and strengths as a player than he does. He has the speed and the experience, and a good shot.

'But he is not that much faster than I am, and I have a better technique, a better touch and deliver better passes than he does. And I can be used in different roles.'

Tought this guy was a right sided midfielder, not sure why he is having a pop at Duff, think Roy might have something to say to him when he returns, would love to be a fly on the wall for that little chat.

Well Teddy i think the harm to him is that he hasn't done himself any favours with Roy in trems of getting a starting place and one of the main reasons we stayed up in 07/08 and where we finished in 08/09 is the really good team spirit we have, the season has ony just started, if it was now nov-dec and he hadn't got a start you could understand it. Roy doesn't seem like the sort of man that would respond well to this sort of rubbish.

I'm not defending his comments. If quoted correctly, he was certainly out-of-line. But, as I wouldn't mind seeing a little bit of a shake-up against Everton, I might deal with it by putting him on the pitch. Put up or shut up, you know. In all likelihood, though, we'll see him against CSKA Sofia.